What are some interesting facts about sunflowers?

Some interesting facts about sunflowers are that they can grow to be 15 feet tall, they grow well in most types of soil and Kansas is the sunflower state. While the sunflower is actually native to North America, the former Soviet Union grows the most sunflowers.

The sunflower is known as an easy plant to grow, and it is often used to demonstrate to children the plant growth cycle. There are a number of interesting facts about this bright yellow flower:

• American Indian tribes grew sunflowers as much as 5,000 years ago.
• Some archaeologists believe that sunflowers preceded corn as a crop.
• Sunflowers attract birds because the seeds are a favorite of many winged creatures.
• Sunflower seeds should be removed from the grass because the shell contains a poison that is harmful to grass.
• Artist Vincent Van Gogh did a series of paintings featuring sunflowers.
• The sunflower was used by American Indians in bread, ointments, body paints and dyes.
• While the sunflower looks like one very large flower, a single head actually holds 1,000 to 2,000 individual small flowers. Sunflower seeds are generated from these small flowers.
• There are a number of varieties of sunflowers including Aztec Sun, Ring of Fire, Skyscraper, Velvet Queen, Kong Hybrid and Italian White.
• As of 2012, a sunflower grown in Germany holds the record for the tallest sunflower, measuring 27 feet high.